


Hanging on to Hope

by EdnaV



Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Apologies, Aziraphale is soft but he's a bamf too, Crowley is protective, Second Chances, maybe it's not enough, the Archangels are bullies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:08:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21762739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EdnaV/pseuds/EdnaV
Summary: Listen, I know what people say about me.Hanger-on.But you have to understand: there are Archangels andArchangels. And I’m not one of... well, I barely made the cut, and they know it. Andtheydon’t let you forget it. Not that there’s anything wrong with being a Cherubim, of course. But you want to be the best, be your best, for the Glory of Heaven. For Her Glory, I mean.Uriel has been sent by Heaven to take Aziraphale's place. But she feels lost on Earth, and there's only one angel who can help her...
Relationships: Aziraphale & Crowley (Good Omens), Aziraphale & Uriel (Good Omens), Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 36
Kudos: 83





	Hanging on to Hope

**Author's Note:**

> In the Quite Nice and Fairly Accurate Script-Book, Uriel is described as "a hanger-on". I've always loved to hate her.
> 
> Today, I'm giving her a second chance. Maybe.

First things first. I want to apologise. I know it's not enough. So, thank you for... for not sending me away, I guess.

Honestly, I’m still trying to make sense of everything. One day I’m up there, the next one...

**_(Sorry. Should I sit here?)_ **

I know what people say about me. _Hanger-on_. But you have to understand: there are Archangels and _Archangels_. And I’m not one of... well, I barely made the cut, and _they_ know it. And _they_ don’t let you forget it. Not that there’s anything wrong with being a Cherub, of course. But you want to be the best, be your best, for the Glory of Heaven. For Her Glory, I mean. 

Fine, there’s a bit of Pride. A sin. You too... 

No, I’m sorry. 

Please, forget what I said. 

**_(This is_ tea _, isn’t it? And_ you drink it _, right...?)_**

It’s just that I didn’t expect this. Any of it. Not just being here. Definitely not the whole... and yes, maybe that’s part of why I sided with _them._ Maybe I really am just a _hanger-on_. But I didn’t expect _them_ to... 

I didn’t expect what they tried to do to you. 

**_(You know, I never imagined tea to be like this. It’s so... warm ? I like it. I’m not being polite, I really do.)_ **

Fine, I didn’t expect what they did to _me_ _._

But... I didn’t expect all those _back channels_ either. I can’t believe that all this time they were working with... 

Is it rude if I say ‘the Opposition’? 

Anyway, I didn’t expect any of... this.

Take Michael. I had always admired Michael. Brilliant mind, everybody knows it, right? I always felt that they were justified to be a bit _curt_ , they had better things to do than waste their time with _me_. 

I know, _technically_ I was an Archangel too. But... I told you. I was not one of _them_. One of the _real_ ones.

No, I’m not saying it to justify what I did.

Because not being one of them, that makes what I did even worse. I should've known what it feels. I should've helped you, not kicked you down just to kiss their... sorry. 

I was stupid. I was scared. Not that it justifies... I told myself that if they had so much power, that meant that they were on _the right side_ , and...

**_(Did I say something funny? I’m sorry.)_ **

It’s a bit like with Gabriel. I’ve never been _energetic_ , and he looks like he can to do _anything_. And how can someone so tough be on the wrong side...

**_(Sorry, I... Okay, I’m moving on.)_ **

I thought that he’d protect us, always. And he, in a way... when you did _that thing_ , did you see him? He shielded us, me and Sandalphon, and we’re talking about _Hellfire_ , and... 

Sorry. I’m making it worse. What he said to you... good Lord, it must’ve...

But... It wouldn't be much of an apology if I weren’t honest. Nothing but the truth, and all the truth. I think. Maybe I'm wrong.

 ** _(I can leave. No, really, if you’re busy, you don’t have to tell that hum... that gentleman, sorry. Really, you didn’t have to be rude with them, and tell that_ the shop is closed ** _**just because I’m here...)** _

Anyway, I suppose that’s all there is.

I want to apologise. 

And, yes, I’m begging you. Because now I don’t know... I don’t know what to do. I don’t know the first thing about down here.

It’s probably fair that this happened to me, the hanger-on. It’s not like it could’ve happened to any of _them_.

Turns out, I'm the _pathetic_ one. 

I hope you’ll help me. That you'll be better than me. Even if you have no reason to. 

I think that’s all.

* * *

“Please, angel. Please. Please, tell me you told her to take a walk.”

Crowley is sprawling all over the sofa, but he still manages to sprawl a bit more. He reaches for the glass of Châteuneuf-du-Pape, but he stops short of raising it. Instead, he stares at Aziraphale, who seems to be very interested in an old copy of the _Daily Telegraph_ that’s been left on the coffee table. 

The demon rolls his eyes. “You told her you’d _help her_. I can’t believe it.”

Aziraphale sits up straight, all prim and proper. Not that there’s any other way he can sit, if he wants to share a sofa with Crowley. 

“I’m an _angel_ , my dear.”

“You told me that she _punched you_.”

“That was Sandalphon.”

“Oh, right. She just called you...” 

Crowley leaves the word unspoken. They both know what she called the angel: _pathetic_. And they both remember when Aziraphale reported the story to Crowley: three minutes of brushing it off with a smile, then the demon moving a few inches, touching his hand with the lightest of touches, and the angel breaking down in tears. That word held centuries of the Archangels telling him he would’ve never done anything right. Millennia of believing he was alone and useless. Until a demon had made a side of their own just to welcome him. 

Crowley knows that it’s going to take a while before Aziraphale will stop making excuses for the Archangels. _Sometimes rebellion is a process_ , he thinks. He sighs, and lets his angel speak.

“We were all a bit... overexcited,” Aziraphale is saying. “ _I_ told you things that I will regret until the End too.”

“She’s not _you_ , angel. She’s a lost cause. She’s a bully. A hanger-on. Have I told you what she did when that demon asked to punch me?”

“Actually, no. You didn’t. You said that Gabriel was annoyed, and Sandalphon was enjoying it, but you never mentioned her.” 

“That’s because she didn’t do _anything_. She didn’t _say anything_.”

“Oh.”

“Oh. Precisely. She’s one of those people who don’t even have the courage to be evil.”

“Listen, you say all those nice things about how I _stopped Gabriel_ — as if _I_ did it, and not _us_ — just by pointing out that the Great Plan wasn’t necessarily the Ineffable Plan...”

“Yes. You have to do something. And you did it.”

“...so, well, then I don’t see what’s wrong with _doing_ this too. To help Uriel come to her senses, realise that Heaven has its... limits. Or just to hope that she’s not a lost cause.” Aziraphale calmly says. “It’s what you did for me, after all. Are you saying you were wrong to wait for me, all those centuries?” 

He smiles. It’s a very smug smile. 

Crowley thinks of downing his wine in one gulp, but he has the nagging feeling that he’d choke on it.

“I’m a demon,” he mumbles. “I don’t do the right thing, you know?”

Aziraphale looks as if he were savouring a fine wine. “Of course, my dear. You just tempt people into doing it,” he murmurs.

Crowley tries to scowl, fails, and looks adoringly at his angel.

“Fine. Help her,” he concedes. 

Aziraphale bats his eyelids, longingly gazes at him.

Crowley sighs. “And I’ll help you too.” 

Aziraphale raises his glass.

“To helping each other, my dear?”

“To _tempting_ each other.”

“Honestly, Crowley, I’ve told you, I will share my life with you, but I believe that this is taking it a bit too far...”

“To speaking up and hope there are no lost causes, then. Does it work for you, angel?”

“Yes. To hope.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you live in the UK, today there's a General Election. Children are literally starving, the NHS might be sold out, immigrants and minorities are being told that they don't belong here. 
> 
> I don't care what your voting history is. If you can vote to kick out the Tories, do it. 
> 
> Here's to hope.


End file.
